The present invention relates to wire guides for pulling wire in conduits and, more particularly, to wire guides attachable to electrical boxes.
Many products and tools have been introduced to aid pulling wire and cable in conduits in residential, commercial and industrial buildings. Some of these products address the problems associated with reducing strain and abrasion and cutting damage to wire and cable when pulling through electrical boxes. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,271,605 discloses a wire guide device for installation in a tile wall cover. The device fits inside a standard outlet box and utilizes a guide pulley that extends into a junction box. U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,615 discloses a guide roller for feeding electrical wire into a conduit. The roller utilizes a hanging bracket that attaches to holes in an electrical box.
These and other devices, while having utility, lack the flexibility for use with a number of different electrical box types, or for use in different stages of wall construction. For example, some of the devices are designed for one type of box only. Others cannot be used once wall panels surrounding the box have been installed. Many lack structural design for pulling multiple wires or heavy cable. Still others limit access to the interior of an electrical box, complicating retrieval of wire and cable ends and use of tools.
An improved wire and cable guide tool is needed which addresses the shortcomings of present devices used in pulling wire and cable.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a wire guide for electrical boxes that can be used on a large variety of common electrical connection, utility and junction boxes.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wire guide for electrical boxes that is robust in design and construction and can be used to pull multiple wires and heavy cable.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wire guide for electrical boxes that can be used in any stage of wall construction around the electrical box.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a wire guide for electrical boxes that provides maximum access of hands and tools to the interior of the box when installed for ease of use.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a wire guide for electrical boxes that allows placement of the guide in 90-degree rotated configurations to allow pulling wire and cable from vertical or horizontal offsets.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a wire guide for electrical boxes that is simple and low in cost.
The wire guide of the present invention comprises a shallow V-groove pulley rotateably attached to the front of an attachment plate. The attachment plate utilizes a number of attachment through-hole patterns corresponding to, and aligning with, threaded cover plate holes of a variety of standard electrical utility, connection and junction boxes. At least some of the through-hole patterns utilize twice the holes as cover plate screws used in the boxes to allow 90-degree rotation of the attachment plate with respect to the box. The forward position of the pulley so that it does not extend beyond the back face of the attachment plate allows attachment and use of the device even if wall panels have been installed up to the box.
The attachment plate utilizes a large access hole or aperture through the plate for hand and tool access inside the box with the guide attached. The access hole utilizes outwardly extending lobes so that the radius from a geometric center of the attachment hole patterns to the outer portions of the lobes is a greater distance than the closest distance from the geometric center of the attachment hole patterns to the attachment holes.
The simple and robust design of the guide allows multiple wires and heavy cable to be supported by the device.